[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 145 Engrossed in House (EH)]

<DOC>
H. Res. 145

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                          May 17, 2017.
Whereas according to Transparency International's 2016 Corruption Perception 
        Index, the citizens of Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua 
        perceive high levels of government corruption;
Whereas widespread corruption in Central America weakens citizens' faith in 
        public institutions, limits government capacity to advance development 
        goals, and allows drug traffickers and other criminals to thrive;
Whereas the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) was 
        created at the request of the Guatemalan Government in 2007, and has 
        strengthened the capacity of Guatemalan institutions, especially the 
        Office of the Attorney General, to combat corruption;
Whereas the Office of the Attorney General of Guatemala and CICIG have recently 
        collaborated to investigate and prosecute a series of corruption cases 
        involving high-level government officials, demonstrating that it is 
        possible for governments in Central America to confront entrenched 
        corruption, and that no one is above the law;
Whereas the Attorney General of El Salvador has made significant progress in 
        tackling corruption at the highest levels;
Whereas after thousands of Hondurans joined street protests against corruption 
        and in favor of an International Commission against Impunity in 
        Honduras, the Honduran Government reached an agreement with the 
        Organization of American States to create the Mission to Support the 
        Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH);
Whereas MACCIH has begun to assist the Office of the Attorney General of 
        Honduras with the investigation into the more than $300,000,000 that was 
        embezzled from the Institute of Social Security; and
Whereas the leadership of CICIG and MACCIH and the attorneys general of 
        Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador have faced significant challenges, 
        including credible threats against their lives, attempts to publicly 
        discredit their work, or efforts to remove them from their posts: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reaffirms that combating corruption in the Northern Triangle is 
        an important policy interest for the United States;
            (2) acknowledges that the International Commission against Impunity 
        in Guatemala (CICIG) and the Mission to Support the Fight against 
        Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH) are currently making 
        important contributions to this effort;
            (3) urges the Government of Guatemala to continue to cooperate with 
        CICIG and the Government of Honduras to continue to cooperate with 
        MACCIH; and
            (4) encourages the Governments of Honduras, Guatemala, and El 
        Salvador to--
                    (A) publicly support efforts to fight corruption;
                    (B) respect the independence of the judicial branch and the 
                Office of the Attorney General; and
                    (C) ensure that the Office of the Attorney General in each 
                Northern Triangle country receives sufficient domestic budget 
                allocations to carry out its core responsibilities and that 
                budgeted funds are delivered in a timely manner.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.